LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) delivered the keynote address at the annual gala dinner at the Republican Jewish Coalition leadership meeting, receiving a standing ovation from activists and donors.
DeSantis, who was reelected last week, recounted recent Republican successes in the midterm elections, as well as his policy successes, focusing on Florida’s actions against antisemitism and in favor of U.S.-Israel relations.
The governor also drew applause for a comment on Judea and Samaria — also called the “West Bank”: “It is not occupied territory; it is disputed territory.” The distinction has implications for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
DeSantis talked about his recent success in managing the impact of Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole, joking that Florida had rebuilt bridges and restored power while other states were still counting their election results.
He also talked about his recent fight with Disney over transgender ideology in Florida elementary schools, which the company supported. “We’re not kowtowing to ‘woke’ corporations,” he said, to a standing ovation. “We will never, ever surrender to the ‘woke’ mob. The state of Florida is where ‘woke’ goes to die.”
He talked about the need to build a broad coalition. “There is no substitute for victory,” he said. “Freedom will reign supreme with Florida leading the way.” He did not mention any potential future presidential ambitions, nor did he address former President Donald Trump, but he concluded: “I have only begun to fight.”
DeSantis was one of several potential 2024 presidential candidates who spoke at the event, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, and others. Former President Trump spoke via live stream from Mar-a-Lago, and was also well received.
Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, hinted at her own presidential ambitions, repeatedly using feminine pronouns to describe the next president. On a possible new Iran nuclear deal, for example, Haley said: “The next president will shred it on her first day in office.”
Haley also criticized China as a threat — with Chinese ambassador Qin Gang in attendance at the event.
DeSantis was the only speaker that attracted a crowd to the stage while he spoke, suggesting a charismatic appeal to those present, as speculation mounts about whether he will challenge Trump, his former benefactor.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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